
Celebrities. We love them. We want to emulate their every move. We watch them like hawks, copy their fashion sense, hang on to their every word, and even make their opinions our very own. And when our idols fall from the heights of their luminous careers to serve time in the slammer, the public's fascination with them can reach fever pitch.
Now that Lindsay Lohan has been sentenced to 90 days in jail and 90 days in a drug and rehab program, everyone is buzzing about the prevalence of celebs going to jail. Here is our list of celebs who have made the penitentiary their home.

1) Orenthal James "O.J." Simpson aka "The Juice": What a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.... Simpson, a former NFL great, was acquitted of murdering his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman back in 1995. The trial was quite a spectacle, a real media circus. Although the fallen football legend walked free after the first trial, the next criminal go-round - involving charges of numerous felonies, kidnapping and armed robbery - in 2007 landed him in the pokey for a minimum of nine and a maximum of 33 years.

2) Mike Tyson: The sociopathic former heavyweight champ, who once claimed that he loves to hit people, was found guilty of raping former Miss Black America Desiree Washington back in 1991. Nearly a year later "Iron Mike" found himself in prison serving a six-year sentence. Tyson has blown quite a number of fuses since the rape conviction and had been down on his luck. Once a millionaire, Tyson filed for bankruptcy in 2003 and has publicly declared that he has slept in homeless shelters and lived on handouts in order to survive. Life seems to be looking up for Tyson now, though. He has a new reality show and recently danced with the stars in Italy.

3) Lil' Kim: The Grammy Award-winning rap diva was found guilty of not snitching on her friends, who were at the scene of a shootout that she witnessed outside a Manhattan radio station in 2005. The scantily clad sex kitten was found guilty of perjury and conspiracy, after lying to a grand jury and investigators. A sentence of one year and one day was handed down to her, in addition to a fine of $50,000. Lil' Kim, whose real name is Kimberly Denise Jones, recently transformed herself into quite the lil' dancer and wowed audiences with her fancy footwork on season eight of ABC-TV's Dancing with the Stars.

4) Plaxico Burress: Former NFL New York Giants star Plaxico Burress was sentenced to two and a half years in prison for criminal possession of a weapon last year. Was he guilty of robbery? Rape? Murder? Heck no to all three! Plax was at a New York City club back in November 2008 and accidentally shot himself in the leg with an unlicensed gun. Can anyone say, "Legal Aid lawyers!"

5) El DeBarge: DeBarge certainly was not "loved in a special way," when he was found guilty in 2008 of possessing crack cocaine, which violated his probation from a drug case the previous year. The crooner and former member of the soulful sibling R&B group DeBarge served two years in prison and was recently released. Two of his other siblings, Chico and Bobby, also DeBarge members, served five years for drug trafficking in the late eighties.

6) Remy Ma: Roughneck, round-the-way rapper Remy Ma, whose given name is Reminisce Smith, was found guilty of two counts of assault in connection with an argument she had with friend Makeda Barnes-Joseph in 2008. The two women struggled in a car and a gun went off, hitting Barnes-Joseph twice. The New York Supreme Court sentenced the young rapper to eight years in prison. Remy's lawyer plans to appeal the case.

7) Mystikal: Louisiana rapper Mystikal, aka Michael Tyler, was handed down a six-year sentence in 2004 for sexual battery which stems from an attack on his former hairstylist. The rapid-fire lyricist had originally been charged with aggravated rape and extortion in 2002, after police arrested him and two bodyguards for threatening to turn his former hairstylist into police for cashing $80,000 worth of unauthorized checks from his bank account if she did not have oral sex with them. When Mystikal gets out of jail he will have to serve five years of probation for extortion. The judge also required Mystikal to register with the state as a sex offender. 'Danger!'

8) Michael Vick: The NFL player saw some pretty drab dog days when he was crucified in the press and by animal rights activists for his involvement in the cruel and inhumane sport of dog fighting. Vick was sentenced in 2007 to twenty three months in prison. In addition, the judge ordered Vick to spend three years on probation following his 2009 release and fined him $5,000. Woof-woof!

9) Da Brat: Hard edged female MC Da Brat, aka Shawntae Harris, was out partying at Jermaine Dupri's club in Hotlanta two years ago. A waitress got under Brat's skin and before anyone could say "Janet" she smashed a bottle of rum across the server's face. Her hot-headed actions resulted in a sentence of three years behind bars, seven years of probation and 200 hours of community service.

10) Foxy Brown: All Foxy Brown, aka Inga Marchand, wanted to do was get her 'nails did' back in 2004. As she bopped to the beat of her portable music player, the manicurist asked her to turn down the volume. Before you know it, Foxy went gangsta, hitting the woman upside her head with a cell phone. She was placed on probation and three years later, she violated it. The frustrated judge, who was, of course, made privy to Foxy's fits of violent bursts, gave her a year behind bars.


Comments: (4)
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By: Mamie Simmons on 7/12/2010 6:52AM
Celebs are only people; remember the devil wears Prada.
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By: meanvee on 7/12/2010 10:41AM
Don't forget DMX, who I hear is talking about becoming a pastor.
http://www.StinesDvdMachines.com
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By: Eugene on 7/12/2010 7:49PM
Don't forget about T.I.
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By: kool on 7/12/2010 11:22PM
a couple of rappers dont forget lil boosie, lil wayne and gucci mane also.
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